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Seth Williams has until Friday to find a new lawyer to defend him against federal corruption and bribery charges. But after an at times combative hearing in federal court Tuesday, it’s still not clear whether he can afford to pay for one.

“This indictment is 24 hours old and yet too many politicians and commentators have already tried and convicted Seth Williams in the media,” he said. “Simply because the government makes explosive allegations in a complaint doesn’t mean they’re going to prove it in a court of law.”

“Dr. Sharif was extremely remorseful for what his conduct did to his family and his profession. His family is hopeful that he will some day be able to repay his debt to society by returning to be a leader in his community as he once was,” said his attorney Michael J. Diamondstein, after the sentencing.

A Kearny doctor who sold pain pills to Philadelphia street dealer – then tried to hire that man to torch his office building – has been sentenced to 5 1/2 years for both crimes. Mudassar Sharif has been in jail since his in February of 2015. He’ll get credit for that time served. He escaped any major fine in his sentencing in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia but the government seized $3,042 in cash that was in the center console of his Honda Pilot on the day of his arrest. Last week’s federal sentencing brings to a close an unlikely tale of a doctor who drove from his Basking Ridge home to Philadelphia in 2012 to sell a pit bull to a customer he found on Craigslist. He ended up making monthly runs to sell the man both oxycodone pills and oxycodone prescriptions written in fabricated names. Eventually he proposed hiring the man to burn down his Kearny office building, which housed other tenants as well as his own practice. In exchange, the doctor promised to pay the man in pills. The plot was never executed, as Sharif was arrested shortly after that conversation. According to authorities, Sharif sought the destruction of patient records because he was having a billing dispute with Medicaid or Medicare. “Dr. Sharif was extremely remorseful for what his conduct did to his family and his profession. His family is hopeful that he will some day be able to repay his debt to society by returning to be a leader in his community as he once was,” said his attorney Michael J. Diamondstein, after the sentencing. He described his client as being extremely apologetic at his sentencing, and accepting responsibility for his actions. Sharif pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Malicious Damage by Means of Fire, and two counts of Distribution of Controlled Substances. Friends and relatives wrote poignant letters to U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky, begging for mercy for a man they said was a devoted father and caring physician. His wife said she and their two children were being evicted because she couldn’t afford the rent on her own. “They lost their dad, now their home and community, and they can’t make sense out of anything,” wrote Sidneia Marques Sharif, a nurse who met her future husband when they worked along side each other in a hospital emergency room. The sentence recommends Sharif participate in a residential drug and alcohol treatment program, which if completed, could reduce his sentence by a year, Diamonsten said. “There is no indication he was using drugs,” Diamondstein added. The sentence also requires Sharif to refrain from any gambling. Sharif’s license to practice medicine was revoked for five years by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners this past May. Kathleen O’Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Defense lawyer Michael Diamondstein, who has been observing the Cosby case, said the request by the defense team was a sound legal strategy. “If you have 12 jurors and they all come from the same general socio-economic area, you generally have like-minded thinking,” he said.

Represented by another lawyer, Derrell Savage was convicted for murder by a Philadelphia jury on December 14th, 2006. Mr. Savage, while always claiming his innocence, maintained that the Philadelphia Police Department coerced an untrue statement from him. Mr. Savage toiled year after year trying to have his claims heard by a court. Unfortunately, his court appointed lawyer wasn’t able to convince the trial judge to allow his allegations to be aired. Mr. Savage’s father, still holding out hope that his son would be exonerated, hired Michael J. Diamondstein to undertake his appeal. That decision may have saved Derrell Savage’s life. As held by the Superior Court, Mr. Diamondstein was successful in convincing the judges that Justice demanded that Mr. Savage’s meritorious claims of inappropriate police conduct should be litigated in open court. Derrell Savage will now have the opportunity to show that the homicide detective’s version of what happened is not true. Appeal Won For Man Convicted of Murder

Delserro’s attorney, Michael J. Diamondstein, said Wednesday that he is reviewing the commonwealth’s allegations to determine how best to proceed. “Mr. Delserro is extremely remorseful for his role in this tragic accident,” Diamondstein said.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the driver in a hit-and-run that killed a two-year-old and injured his mom in Philadelphia earlier this year. Investigators say they are searching for 22-year-old Miguel Colon. The deadly hit-and-run happened on April 13 at Mascher Street and Lehigh Avenue. Read More

80 supporters showed up in Brooklyn for Korchevsky hearing
A Pennsylvania pastor described by prosecutors as the “linchpin” of a global insider-trading scheme was granted bail after his backers urged a judge to allow him to remain free.

Carmen Adamo was watching TV at home last night when he heard a “tremendous bang.”
“I thought it was a gas explosion,” the Korean War veteran and former Philadelphia Police officer told the Daily News last night. ” I shot out of my chair.”